


Behind the Veil

by considermewhelmed



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Class war, Comic Book Violence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I got this from a tiktok, Protests, Rallies, Riots, go check out @fixation_or_infatuation on tiktok, the works, this was her idea I'm just writing it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28820175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/considermewhelmed/pseuds/considermewhelmed
Summary: "The Gotham presented to the world is not the Gotham we live in. And it's time the world knew that."ORA Class War explodes in Gotham, and the Batfamily are right in the middle of it, forced to pick sides, both as vigilantes and as their alter egos.
Relationships: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	1. Issue #1

The Gotham presented to the world is full of extravagant galas, with fancy champagne and in season gowns. Rich playboys donating pocket change to Feed the Children and Clean Up the Streets initiatives. Jewels and museums and art. Big corporations and prospering citizens. 

But it’s nothing more than a thin veil, shimmering in the light. If you look close enough, you could see right through it. 

There is another Gotham. Draw back the veil and you will find dirt, and grim, and filth alike. Girls on corners, hidden in shadows until beckoned by those who can afford their love. Powder and crystals in the hands of teens, just trying to make a living. Everyone knows someone who has gotten involved in a drug ring or a villain's crew. Families living on the street with more houses for sale than lived in, the soup kitchens overwhelmed by mouths and stomachs without enough hands or resources. This is the Gotham that a majority of its citizens know. 

Tucked away in the backroom of a run down bar, is a group of Gothamites. They huddle together and speak in low voices that bounce around the concrete walls. A few exposed lights litter the ceiling, and a desk lamp on the small, rickety table illuminates a map of Gotham. Red pen marks out locations, names, and descriptions. 

The true Gothamites were going to take back their city. 

This is where Jason Todd found himself instead of patrol for the night, one of Roy’s old hats pulled low on his head so he could observed without being observed, nodding along with the leader of the group- Chris, one of the kids he’d been friends-  _ allies _ -with when he was still living with his folks. When Willis got too violent, and Jason could still walk, he’d often book it over to Chris’ place where he was allowed to hide out until nightfall. 

He doubted Chris recognized him, it had been years and Jason was technically dead, but Chris still had that same passion he had back then. 

“I say we hit Gotham where it’s going to hurt them the most,” Chris said finally, the whispers and chatter dying down. 

“The mayor?” One man, mid 40’s, with salt and pepper hair piped up from his ratty old wheelchair. 

“The DA?” A young woman, maybe just a little older than Tim, with a big coat over what Jason presumed to be, next to nothing, asked. 

“Gotham hasn’t had a connection to it’s DA since Harvey Dent.” Chris dismissed the idea. “No. We’re going to target the top offender. The one who pretends to care about us the most while he reigns in his mansion outside of the city all together.” He smirked and circled a familiar location on the map. “The Waynes.” 

Jason’s whole body froze. His mind, which moments ago had been filled with plans for not only Jason Todd but Red Hood, and how he could help in more ways than Chris could even imagine, was now only filled with one thought. 

Bruce is an oppressor? 

Jason had stopped associating Bruce with his class. He knew better than many that “Brucie Wayne” was no more than a cover, and one he hated keeping up. Also, between Bruce and Tim, Wayne Enterprises donated like crazy to many different organizations. Not to mention their nighttime activities helped many citizens of Gotham, not just the wealthy. 

Now his mind was going a mile a minute. Were they right? Was Bruce just as bad as the other Gothamites? His persona maybe, but no one but the kids, Alfred and Selina knew the difference. Still, Bruce did more for this city as Bruce and Batman than most of Gotham’s Elite have done in their entire lives. 

But that didn’t matter if the poor people of Gotham didn’t see all of that. 

What was the point of Gala’s if the people who are supposedly benefiting from it don’t even get a chance to attend? 

“I say we burn that Manor to the ground.” 

That pulled Jason out of his head and onto his feet. 

“We can’t.” He blurted out. 

“And why not?” A man with greasy hair pulled back into a ponytail and a beer belly that reminded Jason too much of the man who abused him until his arrest challenged him. 

“Because, committing mass arson won’t do anything except instigate a huge police investigation. You don’t want that now, when things are just getting started.” Jason used his best persuasive tone, similar to the calming one he had developed as Robin to calm down kids and adults alike in hostage situations. 

“He’s right,” Chris interrupted the man before he could say anything else. “We can’t afford to be shut down so early.” He smirked. “So, we’ll just hit Bruce Wayne where it hurts in a different way.” 

“Why target Bruce Wayne?” Jason interrupted, and Chris’ smirk fell from his lips. “I mean, he’s one of the biggest benefactors who donates, why don’t we go for one of the other big families, older money, that ones that don’t support anyone but themselves.” 

“Why are you trying to protect the Waynes?” The girl who reminded Jason of Tim shot him a steely glare and Jason’s eyes averted to Chris, who was fixing him with his own glare. 

“I’m not I just-” 

“You some kind of class traitor?” The man who suggested burning the manor to the ground in the first place spit at him. 

Jason wiped the spit off of his face and he looked around. “What? No, I just-” 

“You’re a class traitor!” The man in the wheelchair shouted, and the group of people were murmuring in agreement. “An elite sympathizer.” 

“No I’m not-!” Jason protested, but two sets of large hands were already grabbing his biceps. 

“Get him out of here,” Chris said, and the crowd once again fell silent. “We’ll continue planning.” And with that, he turned back to the map. 

Jason knew he could win a fight against these people if he had to, but they didn’t deserve it. And he knew that. So, he let himself be tossed out of the bar and watched the two thugs head back in. 

He frowned and looked around the street, not far from where he grew up. 

Class traitor. 

Was he a class traitor? 

He had only lived with Bruce for a few years, but was it fair for him to sit in that room as if he struggled as much as they had? He pictured that man’s face, but he could only see his father. And Chris, kicking him out of the bar. 

_ “We’ll just hit Bruce Wayne where it hurts in a different way.”  _

Before he could think himself out of it, Jason was swinging his leg over his bike and driving off to the manor. 


	2. Issue #2

“Jason I don’t understand,” Bruce was sitting in his study, pinching the bridge of his nose as Jason stood before him, fiddling with Roy’s hat in his hands. “What  _ exactly _ are you warning me about?” 

It was early in the morning, and Bruce had just gotten back from his own patrol. The older man looked exhausted, but Jason didn’t want to wait. 

Just in case. 

“I don’t know,” Jason admitted. “But this isn’t just a warning for Bruce Wayne- Bruce Wayne is the least of my concerns.” A lie. “But also Batman. Crime rates will rise, and lately, we’ve been spread thin enough as is.” 

Bruce nodded and glanced out the window, deep in thought. This was nothing new to Jason, Bruce got lost in thought when he was trying to figure something out, but it didn’t help the guilt gnawing at his chest. He just betrayed everyone in that room, his own roots, just like the class traitor they accused him of being. 

“We’ll inform the others.” Bruce said finally, turning his gaze back to Jason. “I’ll call Dick and see if he’ll come into town for a bit. We’ll handle this as quietly as possible.” 

“They won’t go quietly Bruce, they’re pissed.” Jason told him, harsher than he intended. 

Bruce sighed, tired. Jason could tell his patience was wearing thin. “I know, but we don’t want to make a scene. We don’t want to make them a target for the Elite to take their frustrations out on.” 

A nice sentiment, but Bruce only had so much insight. Jason knew this crowd, knew their anger,  _ experienced  _ their anger. These people wouldn’t care about becoming a target. In fact, he was certain they would thrive off of it. They would become martyrs. It would just prove their point that the Elite lived to oppress the poorer Gothamites. 

These people would die if it meant the Elites would suffer the consequences. 

Bruce stood and placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder, which he quickly shrugged off and stepped away. Bruce sighed again and leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. “Thank you for telling me Jason, I know… I know it must’ve been hard to step forward.” 

“I didn’t do it for you,” He bit out, shoving the hat back onto his head. “Whether they believe me or not, I did it for them. We’ve never been able to fight the elite, you can’t win a war against people who have endless resources when you’re surviving off the crumbs on their table.” 

Not the entire truth- some deep, lost part of him still thought of Bruce as his father, and by extension, the others his family. He would never admit it out loud, but he was desperate for them to be safe. He had already lost so much, he couldn’t lose anyone else. 

But he would rather die than admit to Bruce that he cares about him. 

Bruce didn’t say anything, just kept his gaze steady on his son, analyzing him. Jason tried to keep his composure, but he never was good at being out in the open, exposed. 

“I’ve gotta go, before the sun rises.” Jason grunted, turning on his heel. 

“You’re welcome to stay the night,” Bruce offered. “Your room is still here.” 

Jason stopped in his tracks at the doorway. He looked at Bruce over his shoulder. “Stay safe old man.” He said quietly and headed downstairs, and out the door to his bike. 

He sat outside for a moment, looking up at the manor, studying it, memorizing every detail like it was the first time he’d seen it. He shook his head and put the hat in his side bag, pulling his helmet on driving off to his apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! Just felt like a good place to end it.


	3. Issue #3

The next few days were quiet. There was no significant rise in crime, no targeted moves, nothing more violent than usual Gotham, not even a  _ peaceful _ protest. 

Life went on normally for Jason. He slept and read and trained during the day, and patrolled Crime Alley at night. A couple times he’d run into Dick or Tim, who would sweep by Crime Alley when their sections were quiet, but besides basic acknowledgements, he hadn’t had much contact with the family. 

On the bright side, Dick being back in Gotham meant that Bruce had taken him seriously. And the increased number of officers at the station meant that Batman had probably passed on the limited information to the GCPD to be prepared for something. 

While there was nothing major happening on his routes, Jason could feel the tension rise throughout the city, the faint buzz of  _ something _ just beneath the streets of Gotham, the whispers of frustration and fear and change carried in the wind to anyone who was smart- or desperate -enough to listen. 

As time dragged on, the quietness of the movement got more and more suspicious. While the usual drug rings, weapons dealers and occasional villain attack remained relatively normal, the petty crimes actually started going  _ down.  _ Less thugs in the rings or trades, the corners were dust and lust free. 

He didn’t want to go back to Bruce yet- he knew he could be paranoid, and he didn’t have enough evidence to validate his claim. He had nothing more than a couple weeks of observations and a gut feeling. It wasn’t nearly enough to build a case on. 

He got up one day in the early afternoon, and turned on the news, the voices just white noise so the apartment didn’t feel so empty. He turned on the coffee pot and got started on something to eat. 

_ “The Gotham Knights won last night against the Metropolis Mad Dogs, clinching their spot in the finals-” _

Jason was lost in thought as he cooked his bacon and eggs. 

He missed Alfred. 

He wondered if he called Tim later, he’d grab something to eat with him after Tim got off work? 

_ “Nightwing has been spotted back in the streets of Gotham, could this mean that the Batman really is trying to militarize his-” _

Maybe he should invite Dick, or even Cass. He generally liked Cass, and she seemed to at least feel comfortable in his presence, which was nice. 

Maybe Tim would bring Steph? 

_ “Lex Luthor has signed onto a new project which could increase-”  _

Scratch that, the more of his siblings who knew about dinner, the more he would be pressured into just returning to the manor for dinner, and he was not about to sit through some awkward family dinner. 

_ “Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance finally tie the knot-”  _

Beside, awkward family dinner would mean  _ everyone  _ and he wasn’t exactly sure how thrilled Selina would be to see him. 

_ “And now, on scene is-” _

She wasn’t so much an ‘evil stepmother’, and more of a woman who managed to see past the cowl and the mask and still fell in love with Bruce, and knew that all interactions between him and Jason had a solid 72% chance of becoming loud and/or violent, which, understandably, made her cold and distant towards Jason. 

_ “-gunshots at Wayne Enterprises, believed to be aimed at young CEO Tim Drake-Wayne-”  _

Jason dropped his coffee mug and plate, both shattering as he bolted to the television, turning it up, watching in horror.

_ “We can’t say for sure if it was an assassination attempt yet, or just some idiot with a gun. That’s all we’re allowed to disclose at this time.”  _

It was Detective Bullock talking to the reporter, before he shuffled away, falling into discussion with Commissioner Gordon. 

Before he could even think about it, he was shoving his shoes on and grabbing his jacket and keys, the food and coffee and glass left forgotten on the floor. 

He was positive that if the cops weren’t so preoccupied at Wayne Enterprises, he would’ve been pulled over. His driving was sloppy and he was speeding, but this was  _ Tim  _ and he was  _ shot at  _ and he just  _ needed to know _ that he was  _ okay.  _

_ Red Robin _ getting shot at was a completely different story. Still not one Jason liked to see, but generally, when it was Red Robin, he could dodge or deflect all together, and it was easier for any other Bat to show up as back up. When it was  _ Tim _ , he couldn’t exactly pull out some move to stop whoever was shooting at him, or call in Batman for backup. He would risk giving not only his, but  _ everyone’s  _ identities up. And Tim was smarter than that. 

Jason was off his bike before it had completely stopped outside the manor, and let it fall to the side. He’d repair it later. 

He tore through the house, barely stopping to actually move the hands of the clock to unlock the door, before he took a deep breath to slow down. He needed to regain his composure before going into the cave. He made his way down the stairs quietly. 

Just like he suspected, the Bats had all gathered in the Cave. Tim was still in his day suit, though his jacket and tie were off to the side and his sleeves were rolled up. Steph was glued to his side, holding his hand. Dick was leaning against the Bat Computer, and Damian was beside him, still in his school uniform, suggesting that Dick had swung by to pick him up on his way. Bruce was in the chair, pushed away from the desk so he could see his children, and Selina was leaning against the back, rubbing Bruce’s shoulder comfortingly. Duke was on one of the work bench stools, and Cass was hovering beside him, her eyes flickering to Tim every once in a while. 

He noticed a distinct lack of Barbara and Harper. 

He took a step out of the shadows, but before he could say anything, Cass’ eyes found him. 

“Jason.” She said, and it took only a second for everyone to turn to look at him. 

Selina’s hand stilled, and Steph seemed on edge, but no one seemed to outright want to attack him, which was better than most of these meetings. 

“That was quick, I just texted you like, 5 minutes ago,” Dick observed. 

“You texted me?” Jason patted his pocket, but his phone was nowhere to be found. “I must’ve left my phone at home, I saw the news and...” He looked at him, looking him over, checking for any bandages or bullet wounds. 

“I’m fine, Jason.” Tim said quietly, understanding laced in his voice. 

Jason nodded awkwardly and kept his distance, clearing his throat, motioning for them to continue talking. 

“I was just saying that Tim should get a security detail. Commissioner Gordon has offered up some of his best officers for the job-” 

“I’ll do it.” Jason interrupted. 

Again, everyone’s attention was on him. 

There was a reason he usually wore his helmet down here. 

“I don’t need a security detail.” Tim protested. “Seriously, I’m fine.” 

“Tim, you were shot at,” Steph said gently. “That’s not fine.” 

“Powerful people are always getting shot at in Gotham,” Tim said, pulling his hand away from Steph. 

Bruce looked at Jason, who tore his eyes from his little brother to look back at him. Obviously, Bruce hadn’t informed them as much as he said he would, except maybe Dick. 

And it seems like they’ve reached the same conclusion.

“They aren’t just aiming for powerful people Tim,” Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. “They went for you  _ specifically _ . You were the intended target.” He looked at Bruce once more and nodded. “To hurt him.” 

Tim furrowed his eyebrows. “What the hell are you talking about?” 

So, Jason recounted that night, and everything he’d been noticing in the last couple weeks. 

“You knew they were targeting Tim and didn’t tell us?” Steph snapped at him. 

“Steph, if I knew it was Tim they were going to go after, do you really think I would’ve stood by and let them?” He snapped right back. 

“Maybe,” She sneered. “You’ve tried to kill him before.” 

“Steph,” Tim said, taking her hand again. “Stop.” 

Her head snapped in his direction. “He kept this information to himself, and you almost got shot because of it!” 

“No he didn’t.” Tim’s eyes found Bruce. “You knew, didn’t you?” He asked. “That there was a movement building. That’s why you’ve been traveling with me to the office,” He looked at Dick. “And he told you, which is why you’re back in town.” 

“Don’t be absurd,” Damian scoffed, crossing his arms. “Father and Grayson would never keep something like that from us. Todd, maybe. But not Father, and certainly not Grayson.” 

Dick got a sudden interest in his feet. 

Damian looked up at Dick, and if Jason didn’t know better, he would’ve thought Damian looked hurt. “Grayson?” He repeated. 

Dick didn’t respond. 

“You didn’t tell us, because you didn’t want us to be more on edge on patrol or in our day lives, right?” Tim sighed and looked at Jason, who maintained eye contact. 

“I should’ve known they were going to go after you,” He said quietly. “I’m sorry, Tim.” 

Tim shrugged. “I’ve lived in this city long enough to know that any position of power is a risk.” He sounded much too old for a 17 year old. 

He looked back to Bruce. “If I need to have security, I’d rather it be Jason than some random police officers lurking around my office.” 

Bruce nodded. “We’ll get him set up with an agency and fake identity.” He sat up a little bit more. “For now, we act like nothing happened.” He said firmly. “Because Tim was the first target, we have to tread carefully. We will look into it, and investigate it, but no big show until we’re absolutely certain this isn’t an isolated incident.” 

As much as Jason hated the idea of sitting around doing fuck all, while Chris and his group continued to plan, he knew Bruce was right. They couldn’t rush into a delicate matter like this. 

Especially since the target, for once, is Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake-Wayne, and not Batman and his family.

They dispersed after syncing up comms for the night, and Jason stepped in front of Tim, his eyes searching him once more, more out of paranoia than anything. 

“Jason,” Tim said softly. “I’m fine.” 

Steph stopped and turned to call her boyfriend to her, when she noticed the brothers talking. 

“You gotta believe me Tim, if I knew… if I had even stopped to think about it-” 

“I know.” Tim nodded. “I’m not mad Jason, I don’t blame you.”

“Just… be careful, okay? I can’t…” 

Tim nodded again. “I know.” 

Jason nodded back awkwardly and cleared his throat. “I’ll see you in the morning Mr. Drake. Wayne? Drake-Wayne?” He raised his eyebrow. 

“Oh god,” He groaned. “Just call me Tim.” 

“What about Timothy?” Jason offered. 

Tim rolled his eyes. “Can I fire you? Employment of only 4 minutes, that’s gotta be some kind of record.” He said, heading towards the stairs. 

“I’ll see you in the morning Timbo.” Jason saluted. 

Tim waved and caught up with Steph. 

Jason took a deep breath and headed out. 

Tomorrow he started as a bodyguard, but tonight he still had work to do. 


End file.
